What are the real, closeted reasons behind the action of “tweeting”? Why would someone spend hours tweeting to complete strangers he/she has never met before and will probably never meet in person? What needs does tweeting fulfill? Do we really think of the psychology behind our tweeting habits?

Past findings…

Researchers and scientists always have some kind of explanation or another about any given subject or trend! Take Freud for example, he was able to relate every possible human action, dream and thought to some sexual problem or fetish!

In one of the articles I have recently came across, “I Tweet Therefore I Am”, the clinical psychologist Oliver James stated that “Twittering stems from a lack of identity”. He further goes on to say that “no one would Twitter if they had a strong sense of identity“. What would you say to such accusations?

Sadly, at least to a certain extent, I would have to agree.

How I see it…

Amongst the many scientific theories I truly respect and even believe in, Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shines through! Whenever I think of Twitter and the possible reasons why anyone would tweet, apart from the obvious sales or marketing efforts, I think of this simple yet highly valid hierarchy!

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Here is why…

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Twitter…

According to Maslow, everything we do is derived from and revolves around a certain need we are seeking to satisfy. In his pyramid of needs, Maslow demonstrates how “the lowest level of needs is associated with physiological needs, while the uppermost level is associated with self-actualization needs, particularly those related to identity and purpose. Deficiency needs must be met first. Once these are met, seeking to satisfy growth needs drives personal growth. The higher needs in this hierarchy only come into focus when the lower needs in the pyramid are met”.

How does Twitter fit into this equation?

So now that we have established our basic physiological needs such as guaranteeing food, shelter, water and so on and we were also able to cover our safety needs in terms of property, employment and family. We are still not satisfied! What can we do next?

Does the extensive use of social media sites, channels and tools cause some kind of disturbance or another to our mental stability? What are the psychological issues and disorders that social media can help breed, promote and encourage for both kids and adults? How can we control our social media presence to contain such a serious dilemma?

So, what other concerns could I talking about? Mental stability negatively influenced by social media, and here is how…

The top 7 psychological disorders social media helps promote…

In addition to their ability to brainwash us, I think social media channels and social networking sites pose the following psychological threats on our mental health and personality:

1. Schizophrenia: “a mental disorder characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality. Distortions in perception may affect all five senses, but most commonly manifest as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking with significant social or occupational dysfunction”.

As the above definition clearly suggests, perception disorders are a mental problem, especially when it comes to certain complexes such as the “God complex” and claiming that one is someone he/she isn’t! Social media can help encourage such disillusion perceptions due to the fact that they allow for claiming to be who you are not and describing yourself differently using various channels!

In general, lack of sleep can be very problematic and I believe social media can cause it as well as insomnia at a more advanced stage. I take myself here as an example. I use social media from morning till after midnight and I confess Twitter has kept me up for early morning hours on several occasions. Not only is that not healthy, but it also can stress the mind and further cause lower level outputs.

Did the good old days of gathering to pool ideas, knowledge and thoughts in efforts to create unmatched outcomes through brainstorming sessions come to an end? How could brainstorming sessions be organized in such a way that brings about valuable results? What are the main things to be avoided during brainstorming sessions?

Can social media help Non-Governmental Organizations achieve their humane goals and objectives? How could social media be utilized efficiently and effectively in order to promote noble causes and humanitarian concerns?

Ada, Countess of Lovelace discovers the difference engine Via Brad De Long

Yes, we are still attempting to bring a smile to your face and brighten up your day, that is why the Thoughtpick team would like to present you with yet another fun collection of 20 top social media and networking related cartoons, jokes and clips for July!

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